Third Student Pod Project for EQUANS

Project:                              Glengall Road, London
Sector:                               Student accommodation
Client:                                London School of Economics
Main Contractor:               EQUANS
Pod Type:                          GRP composite shower pods
Number of pods:               641

The Project

Glengall Road in the London Borough of Southwark is a new student living scheme being built by EQUANS with the London School of Economics and Spark Living. It will provide 676 student rooms and studios in a 15-storey building, as well as commercial space.

Amenities at Glengall Road will include a gym, external courtyards, cinema room, laundry, and shared kitchens for the cluster flats.

On completion of the construction, EQUANS will begin a 50-year facilities management contract, overseeing maintenance and other services.

Three Student Pod Projects for EQUANS

The £1.6m order for 641 shower pods was awarded to Offsite Solutions by EQUANS – its third for this main contractor.

The contract for Glengall Road brings the total value of Offsite Solutions’ pod projects for EQUANS to more than £5m and the number of pods to over 2,000.

The latest project follows the delivery of more than 1,000 pods for a £200m student accommodation and regeneration scheme for the University of Leicester.

Offsite Solutions is also manufacturing pods for Pritchatts Park which will create new energy-efficient student homes for the University of Birmingham (pictured in the video below).

Video of Pritchatts Park in Birmingham, courtesy of EQUANS.

The Bathroom Pod Solution

The GRP bathroom pods for Glengall Road will have a low maintenance finish, a bi-fold pivot shower door, wall-mounted D-shaped hand basin with glass shelf and mirror above, sliding rail shower, silver grey vinyl floor, and a grey solid surface vanity shelf.

The fully finished shower rooms will start arriving on site in Spring 2023 and the pod deliveries will continue until autumn 2024.

The Benefits of GRP Pods for Student Living Schemes

The robust qualities and low maintenance properties of GRP reduce operating costs over the building life cycle, making these pods ideal for retained assets such as student housing and build-to-rent schemes.

Offsite Solutions is the only pod manufacturer in the UK to use a panelised construction for GRP bathroom pods. This solution creates vertical walls and 90° corners for easier integration and the use of standard door sets, removing the need for additional work on site. This pod design also improves aesthetics by avoiding tapered walls that are created with pods from single GRP moulds.

A realistic tile-effect finish and recesses can easily be incorporated into the design of Offsite Solutions’ GRP bathroom pods for further v